The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.

Advertisements:

Military

17 years of age for voluntary military service (younger volunteers require parental consent); no conscription (2009)

Manpower available for military service

Males age 16-4973,820Females age 16-4973,835 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

Males age 16-4958,125Females age 16-4958,016 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

Male1,842Female1,849 (2010 est.)

Military expendituresWorld Ranking: 148

0.8% of GDP (2009)

Military - note

The Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is island defense against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre deployed throughout the island; the cadre increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline for smuggling and other illicit activities (2007)